Irish Paralympic Champions Fight for Equal Recognition and Media Coverage
In the heart of Brussels, on a cold December evening, young wheelchair racer Shauna Bocquet represented the future of Irish Paralympic sport. Fresh from her debut Paralympics in Paris, she finished second in the T54 800m at the Diamond League, competing alongside just one other Irish athlete that night.
That other athlete was global track sensation Rhasidat Adeleke, whose third-place finish in the women's 400m garnered extensive media coverage. The stark contrast in attention between the two performances has reignited a crucial conversation about equality in sports recognition.
A Call for Fairness
Stephen McNamara, CEO of Paralympics Ireland, didn't mince words when addressing the media disparity. In a pointed letter to the Irish Times, he questioned the coverage imbalance with the provocative line: "Two legs good, three wheels bad?"
"We became a little bit braver," McNamara reflects on his public stance. "It was written in such a way that it wasn't terribly serious, but it tried to make a serious point. The reality is we've actually seen quite a bit of pick up after that."
His concerns are well-founded. Despite Irish Paralympic athletes claiming 17 major medals at World and European level since Paris, their achievements often struggle for the recognition they deserve in a society that claims to value equality and inclusion.
Champions Leading Change
Katie-George Dunlevy stands as Ireland's most decorated Paralympian, with four gold, six silver, and three bronze Paralympic medals, plus 17 World Championship medals. At 44, she continues to dominate cycling alongside pilot Linda Kelly, successfully defending both time trial and road race titles at the 2024 World Championships.
"We are elite athletes and we go through the same as the Olympic athletes, the trials and tribulations when it comes to injuries and illnesses, but we have more obstacles to overcome while competing at an elite level," Dunlevy explains with characteristic determination.
For Dunlevy, who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 11, representation matters deeply. "When I was a child, I felt like I was worthless. If I had someone I could see on TV or, if I saw visually impaired people like me achieving things in sport, it would have made such a difference to me."
Breaking Down Barriers
The issue extends beyond mere coverage statistics. Retired Paralympic archer Kerrie Leonard, now pursuing professional training with the International Paralympic Committee, identifies a fundamental problem with how Irish society integrates disability into mainstream culture.
"We don't incorporate personalities and disabilities into mainstream cultural moments to reduce the stigma," Leonard observes. "That would be a very simple and authentic way of us as a society showcasing how we want to incorporate every member of society and break down the stigma around disability."
The breakthrough moment came when Dunlevy and Kelly claimed the 2024 RTÉ Team of the Year award, becoming the first impaired athletes to receive this recognition. It represents progress, but also highlights how long overdue such acknowledgment has been.
The Path Forward
As Ireland positions itself as a modern, inclusive European nation, the treatment of Paralympic sport becomes a litmus test for our values. These athletes embody the social democratic principles of equality and opportunity that should define contemporary Ireland.
Dunlevy remains focused on Los Angeles 2028, maintaining her six-day training schedule through Christmas and New Year. She and Kelly will self-fund a training camp in March, demonstrating the personal sacrifice required to compete at the highest level.
"The more tandem time we can get together as well, the better," Dunlevy notes. "When we won the World Championships last year, we put a lot of time in together beforehand and it can make the difference."
Their partnership exemplifies the dedication required: "We're good friends, but we're exhausted at times. I do find that we can sometimes snap at each other. It's the nature of what we're doing. We're just so driven as well as individuals."
As Ireland continues building a fairer, more inclusive society, ensuring equal recognition for Paralympic achievement isn't just about sports coverage. It's about the kind of republic we want to be, one where every citizen's excellence is celebrated equally, regardless of ability.